Canada Reveals First Five Projects Considered for Fast-Tracking

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--In response to uncertainties stemming from changes to its commodities trade brought about by U.S. tariffs, Canada has released the list of the first five projects to be considered for a fast-tracking program intended to ease permitting and approvals and get the projects online and delivering goods faster.

Canada Prime Minister Mark Carney appointed energy executive Dawn Farrell to lead the new office for the fast-track reviews less than two weeks ago, and with the list of the first projects under consideration already released, the country seems to be demonstrating that the process will help speed development of the projects, which include two mines, the expansion of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in British Columbia, a port expansion and the development of a small modular reactor (SMR) at a nuclear plant in Ontario.

The projects include:

• The expansion of Shell-led LNG Canada's (Kitimat, British Columbia) LNG facility in Kitimat. With its first cargo setting sail to Asia in June, LNG Canada already has expansion plans in place that would transform the complex into one of the world's largest LNG facilities.
  
  The plant currently can produce up to 14 million tons per annum (MTPA) of LNG via two production trains, and the expansion plans call for this to be doubled to 28 MTPA through the addition of two new trains.
  
  The LNG Canada plant, located near the Pacific Ocean, is primarily geared toward Asian markets, providing shorter shipping times to the continent, which includes the lucrative markets of Japan and South Korea, than those offered by U.S. facilities located along the Gulf Coast and in Maryland.
  
  Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.



• The addition of an SMR at the Darlington nuclear power plant in Ontario. Should this project get across the finish line as intended, which could happen by 2030 or sooner, Canada would be the first G7 country to implement an SMR. The 300-megawatt GE Hitachi BWRX-300 reactor would be the first of up to four SMRs at the Darlington facility, although the government and plant owner Ontario Power Generation (Toronto) are focused on getting this first SMR over the finish line before delving into additional projects. Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Power Project Database can click here for more details on the project.



• The expansion of the Contrecoeur Container Terminal in Montreal, Quebec. This major port along the St. Lawrence River ships goods from multiple international locations including Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, to other locations primarily in Canada and the northeastern and Midwest U.S. According to a press release issued this week by the Canadian government, the Montreal Port currently supports around 590,000 jobs and close to $93.5 billion in economic activity. With the Contrecoeur expansion project on the fast-track list, the port is expected to make an even larger contribution to the country.


The expansion would allow for the storage of an additional 1.15 million 20-foot-equivalent containers (bringing capacity to 3.5 million units) and would include the construction of a new 675-meter dock with two berths to accommodate vessels with between 39,000 and 75,400 deadweight tonnage. In addition, a new seven-track intermodal rail yard would provide another means of moving goods in and out of the port. In total, the expansion would boost the facility's capacity by about 60%. Industrial Info estimates the project will cost approximately US$950 million and require about two years of construction. Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Industrial Manufacturing Project Database can learn more by viewing the project report.


• Mcilvenna Bay Copper and Zinc mine in Sasketchewan. Copper, a key component of technologies such as electric vehicles, wind turbines and power transmission, is a hot commodity right now, and Canada is jumping on the copper-mining bandwagon with the potential to fast-track this mine and mill being developed by Foran Mining Corporation (Vancouver, British Columbia). The underground longwall stoping mine project is aiming to extract 34.5 million tons per year of copper and 58.6 million pounds per year of zinc, with the added annual bonus of up to 17,500 ounces of gold and more than 435,000 ounces of silver, over an 18-year mine life. Having received C$41 million (US$29.6 million) from Canada's Strategic Innovation Fund in January, Foran hopes to create the country's first carbon-neutral copper mine by adopting technologies such as battery-electric vehicles, heat recovery and water-recycling systems. The project also includes plans to bring hydroelectric power to the mine. Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Metals & Minerals Project Database can click here for more details on the project.



• The expansion of the Red Chris copper-gold mine in British Columbia. The Red Chris mine currently operates as an open-pit mine, producing both copper and gold. The expansion would transition the facility to an underground mine by developing underneath the existing 10 million-ton-per-year operation. The project would extend the mine's operational life and boost the country's overall copper production by extracting 48,500 tons per year of copper along with 158,000 ounces per year of gold. Industrial Info expects the project to take around three years to complete. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.

While these five projects present a strong starting point to expediating Canadian industrial activity, multiple media outlets noted the lack of a new east-west oil pipeline, which has been very much in the nation's industrial dialogue as it seeks to expand its oil-export market away from the U.S. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she is "really hopeful" that a such a pipeline will be part of the next wave of projects for fast-track consideration. Carney said such a pipeline could be part of a "grand bargain" that pairs it with a carbon-capture storage and utilization project.

The government mentioned other projects that were considered but judged to be not developed enough for selection right now. Some of the projects that the government mentioned it would like to see further development on include an offshore windfarm in Nova Scotia, a carbon-capture and storage scheme in Alberta's oil sands region, another port upgrade and a high-speed rail system.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).